Recruiters Are Finally Prioritizing Skills Over Degrees, Sort Of

A recent analysis published by LinkedIn found that an increasing number of employers are posting job listings that don’t specify professional degree requirements — revealing a trend towards a more skills-first approach to recruitment. 

Traditionally, academic degrees have been considered a key requirement for job candidates. However, LinkedIn’s recent investigation shows a marked departure from this trend. The analysis reveals that a growing number of recruiters are now prioritizing skills over degrees. Recruiters conducting searches for candidates are searching five times more frequently based on skill sets rather than degree criteria, according to the report. 

While the analysis shows how talent acquisition strategies are changing in the job market, it also points out a significant gap between job postings and actual hiring practices. The data suggests that businesses that are posting job listings without degree prerequisites are not necessarily hiring candidates without degrees at the same rate. The report suggests that while a growing number of recruiters are advocating for skills-based recruitment, hiring managers (who hold the final say in the recruitment process) still tend to favor candidates with traditional degrees. 

The conventional view of higher education as the sole path to finding a job is giving way to a more seemingly inclusive approach that values skills gained through various avenues — such as online courses, certifications, and practical experience. This trend is particularly noticeable in the technology, financial services, and food service industries where the growth of degree-less job listings surpasses those with degree requirements. 

As the article suggests, this shift doesn’t necessarily mean that degrees are becoming obsolete. Rather, it emphasizes the need for further collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers to align actual hiring practices with the changing preferences of how companies attract and recruit a talented workforce. The recruitment data suggests that there are challenges that remain in aligning job postings with actual hiring preferences and decisions. A more transparent transformation will likely require more time and effort to bridge the gap between intention and implementation of new recruitment strategies.